Nepal enjoyed trade surplus only with 22 of its 160 trade partner countries in 2020-21

KATHMANDU: Nepal has trade surplus only with 22 of its 160 trade partner countries in the last fiscal year 2020-21.

According to the Department of Customs (DoC), Nepal had a trade surplus with Anguilla, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Congo, Estonia, Fiji, Honduras and Kyrgyzstan in 2020-21.

Likewise, Nepal had a trade surplus with Lebanon, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, Montenegro, New Caledonia, Samoa, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Yemen. But the surplus amount has remained too low to contain the ever-widening trade deficit of the country.

Nepal’s trade has been in higher surplus with Lebanon (Rs. 181.4 million) followed by Sudan (Rs. 73 million), Anguilla (Rs. 44 million) and Yemen (Rs. 27 million). Nepal exported goods worth Rs. 191.2 million to Lebanon against the import worth Rs. 9.8 million.

sIMILARLY, Nepal enjoyed a trade surplus of Rs. 10.3 million with New Caledonia, of Rs. 11.1 million with the Syrian Arab Republic, Rs. 5.7 million with Monaco and of Rs. 8.09 million with Fiji during the last fiscal year.

Nepal’s trade with seven countries, including Anguilla, Bahamas, Chad, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Samoa and the Syrian Arab Republic has remained in surplus without import from these countries. Nepal exported goods worth Rs. 44 million to Anguilla, worth Rs. 1.6 million to the Bahamas, worth Rs. 4.2 million to Chad, worth Rs. 394,000 to Congo and worth Rs. 273,000 to Kyrgyzstan Barbuda.